Circulating mill guide



Aug. 20, 1968 c. J. LINK CIRCULATING MILL GUIDE 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledDec. 30, 1965 INVENTOR. CAM/2L5: J LINK ATTORNEY Aug. 20, 1968 c. J.LINK CIRCULATING MILL GUIDE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30, 1965 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. (JAM/e453 J: l/NK 3/ [Woe/v5) Bunz w nU L A United StatesPatent 3,397,746 CIRCULATING MILL GUIDE Charles J. Link, Long Beach,Calif. Directional Service Co. of Peru, P.O. Box 80, Talara, Peru) FiledDec. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 517,720 3 Claims. (Cl. 166-117.6)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE When a mill guide is positioned in the casingof an oil well it is frequently desirable to circulate verticallythrough this guide for cementing and other purposes. A tubular structurein my invention is mounted on the mill guide and circulation can becarried on through this tube when necessary.

This invention relates to a circulating mill guide, Whereby a cutter ormill is deflected against the wall of the casing or pipe of a well forthe purpose of cutting a hole or window in the casing or pipe.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel circulating mill guidewhich will hold the cutter or mill in its proper relation to thedeflecting tool during the cutting or milling operation, primarily toprevent the cutter or mill from rotating in a circular or spiraldirection around the deflecting tool while the cutter is being rotatedto cut through the wall of the pipe or casing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel circulating millguide wherein the guide member is tubular in form, so that it ispossible to circulate or cement through the guide if desired.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel means of holdingthe deflecting tool in proper position within the well and within thepipe or casing, so that the circulating guide is substantiallypermanently positioned within the well.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from theaccompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and theappended claims.

In the drawing FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of mycirculating mill guide in position in a wall, and illustrating thecutter deflected from the main well casing.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of my circulating mill guide.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates thewell pipe or casing which is to be cut by a milling operation, that is,a hole or window 2 is cut in one side of the casing 1 as shown inFIGURE 1. The numeral 3 indicates the liner which is positioned in thelower end of the Well, and the well is normally produced through thisliner as is usual and well known in the art.

When it is desired to by-pass the liner 3, or any other tools orequipment that might be in the bottom of the well, a hole or window 2must be cut in the casing 1, and this hole is usually carefully alignedor positioned either to correct the alignment of the well, or to deflectthe well in a particular direction as is usual and well known in theart. To properly align and orient the cutter or mill 4, which is mountedon the dril pipe 5, a deflecting tool 6 is positioned within the pipe orcasing 1. This deflecting tool includes a wedge body 7 which is formedwith an inclined or cam surface 8. A tubularly shaped spear 9 is "icemounted on the lower end of the body 7 of the deflecting tool, and thisspear is provided with teeth or wickers 10 which are forced into thewall of the liner 3 by the Weight of the tool, and these teeth orwickers thus securely hold the deflecting body 7 in position. Also thedeflecting body 7 and the spear 9 are fixedly attached together so thatthe deflecting body 7 will not move or rotate in the casing 1 once thetool has been set. As an additional means of immovably holding the spear9 and the deflecting body 7, I provide slips or toothed shoes 11 whichare slidably mounted in the wedge shape upper end 12 of the spear 9. Theslips 11 are pressed downwardly to engage the casing 1 by the coilspring 13, which engages the spider 14 positioned on top of the slips11. The spider 14 can move vertically and surrounds the sleeve or collar15 connecting the spear 9 and the deflecting body 7.

When the mill or cutter 4 is lowered in the well, and when this cutterengages the cam surface 8 and is thus forced against the wall of thecasing 1, this cutter will tend to rotate or walk around the wedge body7, which results in an improper cutting of the casing or aligning of thenew hole which might require withdrawing of the equipment and loss oftime and effort. To prevent this rotation or spiraling of the mill orcutter 4 around the wedge body 7, I provide a guide 16 which extendssubstantially parallel to the cam surface 8 and is spaced from that camsurface. The guide 16 may be either solid or tubular as desired, for apurpose to be subsequently described. The guide 16 is attached to thewedge body 7 and in proper relation to the cam surface 8 by a pluralityof fingers 17 which are fixedly secured to the wedge body 7 and to theguide 16 as shown. The mill or cutter 4 is tubular and the guide 16 willextend into the cutter or mill 4 and thence upwardly into the pipe 5, asbest shown in FIGURE 3. Thus the cutter 4 will be accurately positionedrelative to the cam surface 8 and will be held in proper alignment withrelation to the wedge body 7 by means of this guide 16. As the mill orcutter 4 progresses downwardly it will cut the fingers 17 successively,and at the same time will cut through the casing 1 to form the window 2.The guide 16 is bent inwardly and extends vertically downward throughthe wedge body 7, and eventually protrudes through the wedge body 7 andinto the spear 9, and thence to the bottom of that spear. The guide 16thus extends from above the upper edge of the wedge body 7 to the bottomof the spear 9. Thus if the guide 16 is tubular, a flow pipe or passageis provided vertically through the circulating mill guide. If it isnecessary to circulate fluid downwardly past the :mill guide 6, theguide 16 can perform that function. Also if it is desired to cementbelow the spear 9 this can be accomplished by pumping cement through thetubular guide 16 and thence downwardly below the spear 9. It is obvious,however, that the guide 16 may be either a solid rod or a tube, asdesired.

The tool is lowered into the well and set by means of a setting tool orsleeve 18, which screws onto the top of the guide 16 with left-handthreads 19. The setting tool is positioned on the usual drill pipe andthe assembled tool is thus lowered into the well. When the bottom isreached, the spear 9 is forced into the liner 3 by the weight of thetool, and the drill pipe and the teeth or wickers on the spear willsecurely engage the liner to hold the circulating mill guide in properposition. Also the slips 11 will automatically be set against the casing1, thus further holding the parts in their proper position. The settingtool 18 is now removed from the guide 16 and returned to the surface.Thereafter, a cutter or mill 4 is attached to the drill pipe and thiscutter then is lowered until it fits onto the upper end of the guide 16,as shown in FIGURE 3. Rotation of the cutter will now cause the window 2to be cut and the drill pipe 20 is deflected into the new angular hole21, and in the proper direction as determined by the operator. The parts22 are usual guides which hold the cutter 4 in proper alignment and areusual and well known in the drilling art, and Will elongate the window 2as drilling proceeds, and on retrieving the cutter.

In operation The deflecting tool 6 is first lowered into the casing 1 ona setting tool 18 which threads onto the upper end of the guide 16. Thedeflecting tool 16 is lowered to the proper position in the well and isfixedly positioned by suitable means, such as the spear 19, which isforced under pressure into the liner 3. The teeth of the spear willembed themselves in the liner to hold the deflecting tool in position.Also the slips 11 will be set at the same time and these slips engagethe casing 1 to assist in fixedly holding the deflecting tool 6 in itsproper position, and to prevent movement or rotation of the tool. If itis necessary to circulate fluid past the deflecting tool 6, or to cementthe tool in position, the guide 16 may be tubular thus permitting fluidor cement to be moved downwardly past the deflecting tool.

The setting tool 18 is now removed from the guide 16 by unscrewing thesetting tool from the threads 19. The setting tool is returned to thesurface, and thereafter a cutter or mill 4 is attached to the drill pipe20 and is lowered into the casing 1. The cutter or mill 4 is hollow andwill pass over the guide 16. The cutter is now rotated and is loweredonto the guide 16, thus properly positioning the cutter with relation tothe cam surface 8, thus causing the cutter to be pressed against theside of the casing 1 and will cut a window or hole 2 in the casing. Asthe cutter 4 is lowered and cuts the proper window 2 in the casing 1, itwill also sever the fingers 17 successively until the proper window hasbeen cut in the casing 1. After the window is cut the cutter or mill 4is removed and the deflecting tool 6 remains in position to act as aguide for the bit, which is subsequently run into the well. At thelatter part of the milling or cutting operation of the casing 1 theguide 16 will also be cut off at the cam surface 8, thus permittingsubsequent runs of the drilling bit to be accomplished without anyinterference as far as the deflecting tool 6 is concerned.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A cutter guide for a well casing mill comprising a wedge bodyincluding an inclined surface thereon, means securing the wedge bodywithin a casing of a well, and guide means for said rnill extendingsubstantially the length of the inclined surface and spaced therefrom,and said guide means being tubular in cross-section and the lowermostportion of said guide means extending vertically through the wedge body.

2. A cutter guide for a Well casing =mill comprising a Wedge bodyincluding an inclined surface thereon, means securing the wedge bodywithin a casing of a well, and guide means for said mill extendingsubstantially the length of the inclined surface and spaced therefrom,and means fixedly secured to both the guide means and the inclinedsurface and extending therebetween, said guide means being tubular incross-section, and the lowermost portion of said guide means extendingvertically through the wedge body.

3. A mill guide for the casing of a well comprising a wedge bodyincluding an inclined surface thereon, means fixedly securing the wedgebody within a casing of a well including a toothed spear depending fromsaid body and engaging a Well structure means within the casing, andslip means mounted below the Wedge body and adjacent said spear, saidslip means engaging the casing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,227 12/1931 Lane et al.166-117.6 2,081,294 5/1937 Eastham 166-1176 X 2,105,722 1/1938 Barrettet al -81 2,145,422 1/ 1939 Kinzbach 166-1176 2,216,963 10/1940 Sinclair166-117.6 X 2,882,015 4/1959 Beck 166-1176 X 3,095,039 6/1963 Kinzbach166-1176 DAVID H. BROWN, Primary Examiner.

